World Jewish News

"Ikhud Leumy" has defended interests of repatriates.

The "Ikhud Leumy" fraction has supported the project of the budget for 2003 after the Ministry of Finance has agreed with a number of fraction's requirements aimed at protection of interests of repatriates and on mitigation of impact on socially weak groups of the population. Meeting the demands of "Ikhud Leumy" there were made some basic changes in the state budget and in the law on national economy settlement for 2003. The Ministry will not cancel privileges of medical service payment for persons receiving social welfare and disability pensions. All privileges and discounts for mentioned persons would be paid starting from 50 years, instead of 55 years as the government planned. There was accepted Michael Nudelman's amendment to the norm of "Bituakh Leumy" according to which the term of staying abroad of the persons receiving welfare was fixed in the view of 12 months since returning, therefore people going abroad the next calendar year risked to lose their grants. Henceforth "Bituakh Leumy" will consider staying abroad only within the current calendar year. If the person on welfare was absent in Israel from November till December, henceforth she/he would not risk to lose the grant and could go abroad right after the new calendar year starts, that is in January. Unwed mothers should register on labour exchange after their children attain the age of 3 instead of 2 years as the government planned. "Ikhud Leumy" deputies managed to prevent attempt of reduction the means allocated to KAMEA program under which integration of scientists and experts-repatriates into Israeli scientific and technical sphere takes place. After the four-hour negotiations carried out between the fraction chairman, Jury Stern, and the head of the revenue department, Taly Jaron-Eldar, they have achieved the agreement as for changing the law on tax reform that reduced practically all taxation of the incomes received by repatriates from the real estate, abroad shares and bank savings. Repatriates' associations from western countries participating in these negotiations have named the achieved decision the historical victory of the aliah. "A lot of sweat went into acceptance of the budget", Jury Stern has noted, "but we have managed to defend the basic moments which will allow many repatriates keeping the privileges. It is rather essential for people having reduced financial showing, especially under the circumstances of today's economic crisis".

Источник: Sem40.ru